My ramblings of how me and mine live our best life on a little Welsh homestead. We grow our own and aim for self-reliance whilst having laughs, fun and frolics as we learn lots - not getting it right all the time - but love everything about our life even if it rains!

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Autumn - Love It!

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Sunday, 28 May 2017

Where We Are just Now.

Happy Sunday everybody.As I've posted before, we are very busy with our Airbnb room but it doesn't mean other jobs around the place won't get done, even though we are booked until June 4th!Outside over the last couple of days I have planted out the sweetcorn as it germinated and came on very healthily ready to be moved from the Poly House.

Talking of the PH, the benches are getting emptier as things are potted on....

but the floor is gradually becoming full of large pots, mainly the tomatoes.

Things like all the pepper varieties, hopefully three, will ultimately go on the bench top as there will be room for them to grow upwards; the bench to ceiling height space is 1.2 meters,whilst under the bench there is 90cms growing space and the sweet potatoes will stay under there.

FINALLY my cucumbers have germinated!!

They have taken an age! These will go in the space waiting for them in the Poly House raised bed, along with the gherkins.

I still wonder at times that people say tomatoes and cucumbers shouldn't be grown in the same space. I did have plans to put my Marketmore cucumbers in the main veg patch as they are a variety suitable for outside but it is full now! I still could put them out but they would have to be in pots and I don't think support would be sufficient so in the Poly House they will go.I have checked with Jon about the final tyre I need and he says he should be able to bring it home on Tuesday; I really want to get the butternut squash planted out as it is pretty much ready to plant out and I need to sow some more climbing beans direct.Tracy asked me about plans for overwintering some veg in the PH. I had thought a tiny bit about this but not to the extent of any planning. Sooo last night I pulled out my July, August and September GYO mags to look for some advice; I came up with the following possibilities:hardy Spring Onions can be started as can baby Carrot varieties, pickling Onions and Pack Choi. If anybody has any advice about overwintering it would be welcome.(I am intending to put a heater for my Poly House on my Christmas list!)Jon and I have been talking about animals and the field. We were all geared up to get the pigs when we come back from our holibobs, however we understand it is far better to get the pigs in Spring. This, we are told, is because if the pigs work the land in the Autumn and Winter it will turn into a quagmire so we are resigned to leaving the arrival of the pigs until next Spring.Also around the same time we will hopefully get a couple of sheep, lambs, from our neighbourly farmer to keep in the field - but we're going to need a bigger boat, sorry, freezer!Sad news on the poultry front. We lost one of our Sussex girls yesterday; possibly to heat exhaustion - no other signs of anything untoward. Jon has made a trip to the local supplier we use and get four more.

He has made a perch for inside the hen house to give them a bit more space to sit.

We now have a total of 14 chickens so should guarantee 12 eggs on a good day which is plenty for selling, breakfast and baking.

We waved off the guests who stayed with us last night so washer is on and I am getting ready to welcome another couple this afternoon for two nights so will get the room done shortly. The boys want to go to the Rec for a kick about or play tennis so I'll go up with them a bit later as Jon has a few things to do just now.Enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday and, as always, I look forward to seeing what everybody has been up to and hope you get the weather you need or want.Bye for now.Lou.xx

Last year my tomatoes and cucumber did very well in the greenhouse. I didn't realise they shouldn't be together. They will be opposite sides of the greenhouse this year. Our neighbour lost a chick in the heat too.

Hiya Lou, again, sorry about the hen poor girl. Sad to hear but I must admit I did smile when I hear 4 replaced her ;) not just the one then! We have the bug for sure.I'm going to put spinach and swiss chard in the PT as well I think. Could you try a Marketmore outside and 1 inside to compare results for next year? Or is it too late :)xx

Yes, we have the chicken bug, another 11 eggs today but Jon found 5 that had been laid outside so will have to keep an eye on that! I can try one of the cucumbers outside in a planter, still time I think. I know you like your compare and contrast experiments!x